Page 19 of A Winter Redemption
Mila beamed. Aryn smiled. Sero didn’t.
It seemed Sero wouldn’t forgive him as easily as his mother had.
Ketho turned his gaze to Jarne, who watched him steadily. Ketho smiled. He hadn’t returned to Ores for Sero.
No. He was here for Jarne.
ChapterThirteen
Jarne stared at Ketho, who smiled at him from across the store. A teasing smile. A playful smile. A smile that suggested the two shared a secret.
Which he supposed they did. He glanced at the others. After all, no one knew what they’d gotten up to at the inn.
“Have you tried the Solstice loaf your brother and Sero made, Jarne?” Ketho asked.
“I haven’t,” Jarne said.
He’d been pleased to see Ketho in the store. He’d hoped to see him again.
But he’d also been taken aback that Mila and Ketho seemed thick as thieves. Not only that, but a few minutes later, he’d discovered Ketho and Sero seemed to have been a couple at some point.
Ketho walked towards Jarne, carrying the loaf. He tore off a chunk and handed it to Jarne. Their fingers brushed. Jarne wished it were just the two of them. He didn’t know what to talk to Ketho about with everyone here.
“You made this?” Jarne asked Aryn, poking the soft dough.
“We did,” Aryn said.
Aryn hadn’t spoken much to Jarne. In fact, Jarne had barely seen Sero and Aryn the past couple of days. Probably too busy baking to speak with his brother. That must be it.
Jarne sniffed the still-warm loaf. Heavily spiced. He broke it in two and popped half into his mouth.
“What do you think?” Ketho asked.
Jarne chewed thoughtfully. “Hmmm.” A light and fluffy dough. Notes of sweetness from the unusual berries. Several spices known and unknown to him. He’d never tried anything like it before. “It’s unusual.”
Sero made a noise.
“I don’t recognise the berries. What are they?” Jarne asked and ate the rest.
“They’re Solstice berries,” Ketho said.
“It’s good,” Jarne said when he’d finished chewing.
Ketho smiled at him and handed him some more.
Aryn didn’t look at him.
“Thanks,” Sero said, but it sounded as if he didn’t quite believe Jarne liked it. But then Sero’s gaze turned to Ketho. “Why are you in Ores?”
“I’m returning Jarne’s jacket.” Ketho gestured to the jacket Jarne had slung over his arm.
Jarne would not wear the item. Quite frankly, it looked ridiculous. If he wore this, he’d get many looks. Plain black and grey. That was his style. He’d take this back to his tailor when he returned to Bordertown and try to return it to an acceptable state.
“And how did you two meet?” Sero asked.
“We met at the inn,” Ketho said.
Sero glared at Ketho. Then Jarne. Jarne had gotten used to Sero’s glares the few times they’d been in the same room. Sero’s glares and Aryn’s silence. It seemed Aryn had not gotten over the whole Sasha thing. And Jarne didn’t know what else he could do.